Seeking advice on molds for 45acp

[Pooka]

Hello All,

I'm a newbie here looking to get back into casting.

I'm seeking advice on molds as I want to purchase a solution for molding 230 grain round nose to feed both a 1911 & G-30 with a Wolfe barrel.

I've used Lee molds in the past, mainly because that is what I could afford at the time.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Artful]

If your looking for just a 230 grain RN profile the Lee works as well as any in my experience - myself I've gone over to
FN Truncated cone style as in my 1911's, SIG 220 and others they work just fine, but have a harder hitting presence in my experience.

NOE is probably my favorite place to get into trouble
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/N.O.E._Bullet_Moulds_454-230-RN_(PB)_Sketch.Jpg

their FN is more rounded that the one I use
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/453-220-RF_(PB)_220_gr_Sketch.Jpg
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/N.O.E._Bullet_Moulds_453-220-RF_(PB)_220_gr_Sketch.Jpg

And if you want to be able to FN and HP
http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/images/N.O.E._Bullet_Moulds_452-232-HP_PB_AB1_Sketch.Jpg

[Mr_Sheesh]

I, too, really like the Truncated Cone Flat point bullets. They feed like they were round nose bullets in my guns, and more effective if you shoot game or are forced into self-defense than the round nose bullets. Initially used the jacketed ones back in the ??90s?? when they first came out as a result of military testing. Going to test some out in cast next :)

[AZ Pete]

200 g. SWC. I have loaded these for twenty years or so and really like them for targets, steels etc.


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[knifemaker]

To avoid possible feeding problems with the Lee 230 gr. RN, be sure to get the 2R round nose mold and not the 1R. I agree with the poster above on the 230 gr. truncated nose mold for excellent feeding in most 1911s. That is the mold I use and perfect feeding in about 4 different 1911 including a short barrel Colt Defender that can be prone to feeding problems.

[kungfustyle]

My 45 is very finicky, and did just so-so with the semi wad cutters. Lee 230 rn did a good job so did the Noe rn mold mentioned above. But hands down the best mold that I have cast, loaded and shot with is the Lyman 452374. It was designed after the factory round and I have yet to find a mold to out shoot it in my gun. Look around for a 4 cavity of that mold and you'll have piles of boolits in no time. Like this one:
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000152670374/four-cavity-pistol-bullet-mould-number-452374-45-caliber-225-grain
Others may have different onions but for me this one is it.

[Walks]

Plain simple RN. Feeds in any .45acp auto-loading handgun. N.O.E. makes beautiful molds. Lee molds are cheap. They work, but only if you take very CAREFULL care of them. You buy cheap, you get cheap. RCBS and Lyman make great molds, SAECO are the best if you have the money. You can start with Lee, but move on to quality molds as soon as you can.

I've been using the same 4 cavity LYMAN #452374 RN for 40+ yrs. Never felt the need to try any other mold for that bullet.

[TNsailorman]

I have a S&W revolver in .45 ACP/AR and I had a bullet mold from Lee 200 grain RNFP that shot really nice groups. And like a dummy, I cast about 300 bullets and thinking that would probably be all I would need, I sold the mold. I have made more than one bad decision when it comes to selling something I should have hung onto. james

[bangerjim]

I cast & shoot anything 230 and under. Watch the profile....depending on the "ramp" on you ACP. The ACP can be very VERY tricky. That's why I cast and shoot mostly the 45 LC version. My Colt 45's will eat anything I shove in them.....including my long 45 long guns.

" If you can't get'er done in 5-6 rounds, better just throw the gun at the target!".

Banger

[pworley1]

The Lyman 452374 got the job done in every pistol I ever tried it in.

[Gtrubicon]

Mp moulds have their stuff together. I am not a lee basher, I have and use a lot of lee product. But it will take a lot for me to purchase another lee mold over a Mihec. Aside from the craftsmanship and pride of ownership I think they are tops. What I like most is the options for different bullet profiles. I just received my mold for the 45 colt, it has 5 different hp pin profiles. I can’t speak about their rifle caliber molds but their hp pistol molds are awesome. For acp I have the 452-200hp version. It feeds flawlessly in my 1911’s and revolver. 4 different acp pistols, Springfield and colt mix. Ruger Blackhawk convertible 45 colt, 45acp.

[Pooka]

Thank you all for the replies, much appreciated.

As I stated in my original post I have used Lee's in the past, I still have a 6 cavity 200gr SWC which my 1911 will eat all day but the Glock 30 is a very finicky eater known to hang up on SWC, hence my post seeking advice.

You all have me thinking about FN now and stepping up to a more quality mold.

Having only used Lee's w/ their liquid Alox in the past what are your thoughts on lubricating for either the N.O.E. molds or the Lyman? Can I get away with powder coating?

[Artful]

Yep, powder coating works well in 45 ACP

[Lloyd Smale]

yup the lyman 452374 4 cav is about as good as it gets.
Plain simple RN. Feeds in any .45acp auto-loading handgun. N.O.E. makes beautiful molds. Lee molds are cheap. They work, but only if you take very CAREFULL care of them. You buy cheap, you get cheap. RCBS and Lyman make great molds, SAECO are the best if you have the money. You can start with Lee, but move on to quality molds as soon as you can.

I've been using the same 4 cavity LYMAN #452374 RN for 40+ yrs. Never felt the need to try any other mold for that bullet.

[6bg6ga]

I used to use the Lyman 452374 4 cavity mold and then switched to the Magma 230 gr rn mold which turned out to be more accurate yet. The H&G 68 that I used the Lyman version 452460? I replaced with the Magma 185 and 200 gr SWC bullets which are just as good and probably slightly better.

[mdi]

I have two molds for my 45 ACP; one which works quite well n my 1911, but my Ruger P90 doesn't feed them 100% is a Lee 200 gr SWC https://leeprecision.com/mold-dc-h-g-68-200-swc.html . The other is a Lyman 225 gr RN https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101022288/lyman-bullet-mold-452374-45-caliber-452-diameter-225-grain-round-nose which feeds in both guns slicker than owl @!*%.

Both bullets get a home made Speed Green lube or a dip lube of 45-45-10. I have PCed both and they work very well up to near max. loads and the SWC is pretty accurate in my 1911...

[oldhenry]

Hard to beat the Lyman #452374.....it's kind of a plain Jane, but it feeds every time & shoots better that I can. I have 2 (4 cavity) & they'll stack up boolits quickly. I also have a 6 cav. Lee 230TC (not a TL) & must admit that it puts out some nice looking boolits quickly that feed just as well & also shoot better than I.

I have no experience with PC.

My .02 worth

Henry
.................................................. .................................................. ..............
A real sport involves either gasoline or gun powder.......all others are just games

[John Boy]

H&G 68 Clone ... http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=45-200H-D.png

[CASTER OF LEAD]

I, too, really like the Truncated Cone Flat point bullets. They feed like they were round nose bullets in my guns, and more effective if you shoot game or are forced into self-defense than the round nose bullets. Initially used the jacketed ones back in the ??90s?? when they first came out as a result of military testing. Going to test some out in cast next :)

I PC the Lee TL version of the TC for My SR1911. It works flawlessly and hits like Thor's Hammer.

[Pooka]

Thanks for all the great replies guys, much appreciated. I played hooky for an hour or so today and smelted down 20 pounds of VERY dirty wheel weights :-)

[bangerjim]

Thanks for all the great replies guys, much appreciated. I played hooky for an hour or so today and smelted down 20 pounds of VERY dirty wheel weights :-)


SHAME on you!!!!!!!!! NONE of us have EVER taken ANY work time to mess with lead/coatings/loading!

HA........ha!

Banger

[Thin Man]

I got started casting with a Lyman 452460 (4X) and learned that feed-up is a function of COL with any boolit. By learning what your pistol(s) likes you can usually make any boolit function. I also have the Lyman 452374 and it is great fun also. My standard load for the 200 grain SWC is 7.0 grains of Unique, a charge that will give you everything this boolit can provide.

[rsrocket1]

My old Auto Ordnance 1911 is quite finicky with bullet profiles. It loves standard FMJ RN bullets and Bear Creek RN Bullets, but it chokes on SWC bullets of all types, plated and cast.

I chose the Lee TL452-230-TC bullet and it's been fantastic for the past 8 years. I now seat it to where the cone meets the case mouth and give it a slight taper crimp just beyond vertical. For me, it's about a 1.17" COL and if feeds perfectly in my 1911 and XD45. The 6 cavity mold heats up quickly and the heavy bullets drop out of the mold like rain. It empties a 20 pound pot very quickly.

The non TL version would be just as good. I used to TL the bullets and they worked great. I now powder coat them and they work just as well.

[Pooka]

My new Lee TL452-230-TC 6 cavity showed up yesterday! Looking forward to giving it a go this weekend. Rsrocket1, what powder and charge are you using in your 1.17 COL load?

[Boolseye]

Try 4.1 grains of BE.


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[Pooka]

Tested out my first load with the TL452-230-TC today.

It shot accurate with no failure to feed issues, no leading and no keyholing.

5.5 of Unique
OAL 1.18
Powder Coated and sized to .452

Shot out of a Glock 30s with the stock barrel.

[Boolseye]

Nice! I have that boolits brother, the RN version-also shoots good.


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[Cue]

I use this one from NOE for coating with Hitek lube, you could powdercoat it as well.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=84_545_512&osCsid=pcd3soo3j297om1rnlhrvf1jn0

[Dragonheart]

I personally would recommend finding a good 4 cavity H&G #68 mold with the original handles. Once you cast with an H&G mold you won't part with it as long as you continue to cast. The iron H&G molds produce beautiful bullets and the molds only get better with age. Iron is much more forgiving then aluminum or brass.

Yes, it is going to cost you more to begin with, but these molds retain their value. When your family sells your estate they will get considerably more for the mold than you paid. Other molds will be worth pennies on the dollar, if they are not already in the scrap bin.

As far as the reasons for the #68; first it is undeniably the most accurate bullet design for the 45 ACP, especially at 50 yards. The design of the bullet is such that it hits the feed ramp at the same spot as a round nose, making it function flawsley. It is a 200 grain bullet so it uses less alloy.

[6bg6ga]

My old Auto Ordnance 1911 is quite finicky with bullet profiles. It loves standard FMJ RN bullets and Bear Creek RN Bullets, but it chokes on SWC bullets of all types, plated and cast.

I chose the Lee TL452-230-TC bullet and it's been fantastic for the past 8 years. I now seat it to where the cone meets the case mouth and give it a slight taper crimp just beyond vertical. For me, it's about a 1.17" COL and if feeds perfectly in my 1911 and XD45. The 6 cavity mold heats up quickly and the heavy bullets drop out of the mold like rain. It empties a 20 pound pot very quickly.

The non TL version would be just as good. I used to TL the bullets and they worked great. I now powder coat them and they work just as well.

I have got a national match upper on a cheaper lower( cant think what the brand is now) and it choked with everything but hardball until I changed the magazine. once I changed the magazine it would feed everything. So, its not necessarily a feed ramp issue or a bullet design issue.

I used to use the #68 200gr SWC until I found the Magma 200gr SWC. Its just as accurate and functional and works great at 50 yards.

[D Crockett]

I have got a national match upper on a cheaper lower( cant think what the brand is now) and it choked with everything but hardball until I changed the magazine. once I changed the magazine it would feed everything. So, its not necessarily a feed ramp issue or a bullet design issue.

I used to use the #68 200gr SWC until I found the Magma 200gr SWC. Its just as accurate and functional and works great at 50 yards. Like 6bg6ga I to use Magma molds I use the 200 SWC and the 230 RN both work great in my 45 acp and my sons kriss Vector the 230 in the vector is deadly out to 50 yards that as far as we could get on the range that day 100yds and above were full I have had lee molds but they did not work as well as the Magma molds do D Crockett

[CJR]

First, some historical comments on CBs.

1. Many years ago, the NRA started identifying CB designs that were inaccurate or accurate up to 25 yds after which they became unstable and inaccurate. After the NRA identified these CB designs many mould manufacturers stopped producing these inaccurate designs. I would suspect that many of these inaccurate CB moulds ended up on ebay
2. Also, the superbly accurate truncated cone(TC) 9mm bullet was developed by the US Air Force. Then the Air Force(AF) published the dimensions for an accurate TC 45ACP bullet. Since Hornady was contracted by the AF to produce the first copper jacketed bullets, Hornady was the first commercial producer of these accurate TC bullets in 9mm and 45ACP. Ross Seigfield then used the AF designed 45ACP Hornady bullets in front of W231 to win the World IPSC Chamsionship with a 1911.
3. The technique, used by the AF, to achieve superior accuracy was to design the bullet by increasing the spacing between the forward Center of Pressure(CP) and the rearward Center of Gravity (CG). Hollow-pointing a bullet can also significantly improve the accuracy of an existing bullet design because it moves the CG rearward to increase the CP-CG spacing.
4. Many shooters over the years have recommended shooting bullets at long range. If it's accurate at 100+ yds, it's stable and most likely an accurate bullet design.

So what has worked for me, in the 45ACP, is the Lyman 230 gr.452374 RN which is very stable, feeds well and is accurate up to 100 yds. Likewise the H&G #292 230 gr. TC (copy of AF design) is a superbly accurate 45ACP bullet, feeds well for me, and is a "thumper of a hitter" at longer ranges. Finally, the Mihec 200 gr. HP RN is also excellent in accuracy, feeds well and can be easily loaded up to 1000+fps, in a 45ACP 1911, with normal pressures.

Best regards,

CJR